With the spread of hemlock woolly adelgid, an invasive forest pest, scientists are seeing a shift in the types and numbers of birds species from less specialists to more generalists. Read more about why this matters and the details of these interactions HERE.

Guest blog post by Alison England, middle school science teacher from St. George School in Tenants Harbor.
With help from the Vital Signs Freshwater Mini-grant, St George School students are following leads in our community mystery of why alewives are not returning to our marsh following several years of restocking and the brief "appearance" of a small group of alewives coming into our marsh two years ago.

We rely on our ponds, lakes, rivers, and streams for drinking water, recreation, and economic opportunities. With 5,700 water bodies and countless waterways, Maine’s freshwater resource managers need Maine students to be citizen scientists in their local freshwater ecosystems, and to help raise awareness in their communities. Freshwater investigations can be challenging - special equipment may be required and field sites may not be accessible from the school campus.

The Vital Signs Team is working with middle school educators from across the state who are excited about bringing more authentic science investigations into their classrooms. These regional teacher communities (RTCs) are focused on building community in rural teacher communities, enhancing teacher practice, and increasing student interest and success in science.

We rely on our ponds, lakes, rivers, and streams for drinking water, recreation, and economic opportunities. With 5,700 water bodies and countless waterways, Maine’s freshwater resource managers need Maine students to be citizen scientists in their local freshwater ecosystems, and to help raise awareness in their communities. Freshwater investigations can be challenging - special equipment may be required and field sites may not be accessible from the school campus.

On Friday April 28th, at the University of Maine in Machias, 12 classroom educators, 1 employee from the Department of Marine Resources, and 1 educator from the Downeast Institute, joined together for the Washington County STEM Improvement Institute with Vital Signs; a full day of work around dealing with data in the context of an authentic investigation. Teachers represented grades 5-12 and the towns of Machias, Perry, Pembroke, Harrington, Jonesport, and Beals.